Chapter 249

You old fogies, you talk about rites on the surface, but in your hearts you're still thinking of that dead Zhao Kuangyin!

You think that I, the emperor, ascended the throne illegitimately, so you want to bind me with all these rules and regulations!

I won't have it!

I'm telling you, from today on, in the Great Song, my word is law! My word is the rule! It is the rites!

"Have you all finished speaking?" Zhao Jiong said coldly.

The hall fell silent in an instant, and everyone felt a bone-chilling chill.

"Changing the era name is not for myself, but for the Great Song's realm!" Zhao Jiong's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable authority.

"I want Taiping Xingguo! I want peace under heaven and prosperity for the state! I want, in my reign, to strengthen national power, let the people live in peace and contentment, and let the banner of the Great Song be planted in every corner of the world!"

"You, as high officials of the Court, should be thinking about how to assist me and create a prosperous age, yet here you are quarreling with me over a mere eight days! Do you still have any regard for me as emperor? Do you still have any regard for the future of the Great Song?"

His words were passionate and lofty, shifting the concept and elevating the issue to the height of loyalty to the ruler and love for the country.

Zhao Pu and the others were left speechless by his fallacious arguments.

Only then did they realize that the emperor before them was completely different from the late emperor.

Although Zhao Kuangyin was also a warrior-emperor, he respected scholars and respected the rules; often, when ministers offered counsel, he could still listen.

But this New Monarch simply doesn't reason with you.

Those who follow me prosper; those who oppose me perish.

Zhao Jiong looked at the silent officials below and gave a cold snort in his heart.

He knew he had to repeatedly use firm measures to erase the traces of his elder brother; did he not want to respect scholars? Did he not want to hear more counsel?

"My decision is final, no further discussion!" he declared with finality.

"Wang Xu!"

"I am here." Wang Xu stepped out of the ranks and knelt on the ground.

"Immediately draft the Era Name Proclamation and announce it to the world! Starting tomorrow, December 23, the Great Song will implement the Era Name Taiping Xingguo as the New Era Name! Anyone who refuses to comply will be punished for defiance!"

"I will obey the edict." Wang Xu replied calmly.

He did not participate in the argument from start to finish. At such a time, the emperor needs someone who will resolutely carry out his words, and he does not shirk that duty.

Zhao Pu lifted his head and looked despairingly at Wang Xu. He couldn't understand how this young man, who had also grown up studying the sages, could be so unprincipled as to obey the emperor's absurd decision without question.

He didn't know that Wang Xu's principle had never been anything like sage rites.

His principle consisted of only two words: profit, the profit of the Wang Family.

As long as the emperor could bring profit to the Wang Family, Wang Xu would not only agree to a mere era-name change but would be the first to hand him a ladder even if he wanted to pierce a hole in the sky.

After court was dismissed, the atmosphere in the entire court was suppressed to the extreme.

The officials walked away in small groups, sighing, but no one dared to speak loudly anymore.

Zhao Pu was so angry his whole body trembled; returning to the Royal Secretariat, he smashed several teacups in succession.

"Villain! A villain is not fit to consult!" he shouted, "Such perverse obstinacy, stubborn self-will—the realm of the Great Song will surely be destroyed in his hands sooner or later!"

However, after the scolding, the edict still had to be stamped with the chief minister's great seal and sent out to the whole country.

That afternoon, Wang Xu's personally drafted Era Name Proclamation was sent at the fastest speed to all the offices of Kaifeng City and posted on street corners.

As the news spread, the entire populace of the Capital was bewildered.

"What? The era name has changed? Tomorrow won't be Kai Bao Year Nine anymore?"

"What changed to? Taiping... Xingguo?"

"The New Year is still days away—how could it be changed already? What about official documents? What about our contracts?"

In an instant, opinions boiled over and people's hearts were filled with panic.

But soon, the bailiffs of Kaifeng Prefecture and the Imperial Guards patrolling the city increased their patrols. Anyone who gathered to discuss, if their words were too heated, was seized without a word and thrown into jail.

In the face of absolute violence, all discussion turned into whispered murmurs, finally sinking into silence.

On December 23, the last eight days of Kai Bao Year Nine were simply erased by force.

The Great Song entered the "first year of Taiping Xingguo."

Zhao Jiong stood on the palace wall, hearing the scattered New Era Name celebration sounds from the city, and a victorious smile appeared on his face.

The forcible era-name change was merely one step in Zhao Jiong's "Removing Taizu Influence."

The newly inaugurated Era Name Taiping Xingguo New Era Name was followed by one Imperial Edict after another, flying out of the palace like snowflakes toward every corner of the Great Song.

The first edict concerned the Naming Taboo.

"My naming taboo consists of the characters 'light' and 'righteousness'; subjects throughout the realm must not use them. Any place name, office, or personal name containing these characters must be changed at once!"

This edict again caused an uproar in the court.

Observing the naming taboo for the emperor's name is proper, but someone like Zhao Jiong, who wants to taboo even the names he used before his accession, and moreover these are two common characters, is going too far.

The officials of the Ministry of Rites stayed up all night combing through the classics, compiled a list, and submitted it.

The next morning at court, the Minister of Rites held that thick list, his hands trembling.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, after our investigation, among the prefectures, prefectures, and counties of the realm, place names containing the character 'light' include Guangzhou, Guanghua Army, and seven others; those containing 'righteousness' include Yizhou, Yicheng Army, and twelve others. Among offices, there are Guanglu Doctor, Guanglu Temple Minister, Remonstrant Officer, etc. If all were to be changed, the project would be enormous, unlikely to be completed in a day."

He specifically mentioned the Remonstrant Officer, because its pronunciation is similar to 'righteousness' but not the same character; nevertheless he dared not omit it, for to violate the New Monarch's naming taboo by homophone would invite punishment.

Zhao Jiong listened without blinking an eye.

"What difficulty is there?" he asked coldly. "Guangzhou can be changed to Xinyang; Yizhou can be changed to Yijun. As for the Remonstrant Officer, let it become the Suggestion Officer. The rest, you Ministry of Rites handle as you see fit. I give you an Era Name Deadline; after that deadline, I do not want to see these two characters anywhere in the realm of the Great Song."

"This..." the Minister of Rites still wanted to say something.

"Era Name Official Prompt" Zhao Jiong threw a glare over.

The Minister of Rites started, a shiver, and immediately swallowed his words: "Era Name Official Response."